Meatless Monday.

Last night's dinner was simple, delicious and meat-free, so of course I had to share in case you're still looking for some Meatless Monday ideas.

Last week, I downloaded an awesome Real Simple recipe app for planning meals based on ingredients and time. It came in handy last night, seeing as it had been the ultimate Lazy Sunday with no real desire to cook in sight. Still, I thought it wouldn't hurt to look for some inspiration and a few taps later, I came across Fettuccine with Artichokes and Beans.



My modifications: significantly less oil (less than 1 tbsp for cooking the garlic and about the same for tossing with the pasta at the end), added crushed red pepper flakes, used about 1 tbsp Italian-style breadcrumbs (instead of making my own) and used 9 oz. of Ronzoni Smart Taste spaghetti. Also added my preferred amounts of salt, oregano and black pepper.

I was glad we decided to pick up some canned artichoke hearts at the store the other night! This meal really was a breeze to make and so delicious. Goes great with a little grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!

You had me at "pudding."

I'm trying really hard to come up with an enticing, witty intro to this post, but my head cold just won't allow it. I must warn that said cold demands strong cold medicine, so I won't be holding myself responsible for any weird, wacky nonsense that makes its way into this post. Just so ya know. Moving right along to the tasty bits, eh?

Let me first say that Real Simple is changing my life. I can't help it. I just started getting their magazine and was sucked in immediately. I've been browsing their recipes online for a while now and had a bit of a food porn moment when their Butternut Squash Bread Pudding recipe landed in my inbox the other day.

I have a special place in my heart for bread pudding. And butternut squash. And cheese. And eggs. In fact, I'd like to think that it's because of all the special things taking up space in my heart that I have trouble shopping for button-up shirts. Yeah, yeah, that's the reason...

Anywho, I had the intention of making this dish myself, but Doug felt it would be better if he made it so I could rest on the couch and continue my battle of the mucus.

He scaled the recipe down a bit so we wouldn't end up with 8 servings. And 1% milk was used instead of whole. Aaaand dried sage instead of fresh. Other than that, no other substitutions were made.



All mixed and ready to be baked.



One (seemingly l-o-n-g) hour later.





Hubba, hubba. This dish was so flavorful that I was still able to taste everything, despite my cold. We both agreed that adding some kind of smokey meat like ham or bacon would have been the cherry on top. In fact, I confirmed this theory by adding bits of ham to my leftovers this morning. And yes, it was even more awesome than the night before. This recipe is great for dinner, but would also make a great holiday side dish or brunch item as well.

That's all for today. I have all sorts of baking plans lined up, but they may/may not come through thanks to these damn germs taking over my upper body. Ah well. Hope everyone has a safe and restful holiday, filled with lots of good food and booze. Seriously. Drink to the Holiday Spirit! Drink to [forget about] the annoying relatives! Drink in my memory! That's all I ask of you, dear readers. That's all I ask. Happy Holidays!